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Downtown office
Midtown office
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NY 10016
Monday – Friday
08:00 AM – 07:00 PM
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Pelvic Prolapse
What is pelvic prolapse?
Pelvic prolapse is a condition in which your pelvic floor (the muscles, ligaments and tissues that support your pelvic organs) become too weak to hold your organs in place. Your pelvic floor muscles act like a powerful sling that supports organs like your vagina, uterus, bladder and rectum. If these muscles become too loose or sustain damage, the organs they support shift out of place.
With mild cases, your organs may drop. In more severe cases, they may extend outside your vagina and cause a bulge.
Symptoms
The most common symptom is feeling a bulge in your vagina, as if something were falling out of it. Other symptoms include :- Bulge, fullness or pressure in your vagina.
- Fullness, pressure or aching in your pelvis.
- Aching or pain in your low back.
- Pressure, hitting sensation or pain during intercourse (dyspareunia).
- Bulge or pressure that worsens throughout the day.
- Bulge or pressure that worsens if you cough or if you’re on your feet too long.
- Having to shift protruding organs with your finger in order to pee or poop.
- Vaginal spotting.
Stress incontinence, urge incontinence and fecal incontinence often coexist with pelvic prolapse because they share similar risk factors. Symptoms include :
- Leaking pee when you cough, laugh or exercise (stress incontinence).
- A frequent urge to pee that’s hard to control (urge incontinence).
- Constipation or being unable to control when you poop (fecal incontinence).
Causes :
Your pelvic floor can weaken for many reasons. A weak pelvic floor increases your likelihood of a prolapse.- Vaginal childbirth : is the most common factor associated with developing Pelvic Prolapse. Multiple vaginal deliveries, having twins or triplets, or carrying a larger than average fetus (fetal macrosomia) all increase the odds that your pelvic floor muscles will sustain injuries that may lead to Pelvic Prolapse.
- The aging process : can cause your muscles to lose strength, including your pelvic floor muscles. One factor is declining estrogen. During menopause, your body produces less estrogen. The decline can cause the connective tissues that support your pelvic floor to weaken.
- Having a heavier : increases your risk for Pelvic Prolapse. Studies have shown that people who are clinically overweight or have obesity are more likely to develop Pelvic Prolapse than people who are in the normal weight range.
- Long-term pressure in your abdominal cavity : can overwork your pelvic floor muscles, causing them to weaken. Chronic constipation, chronic coughing and frequent heavy lifting all increase your chance of developing Pelvic Prolapse.
- A family history of Pelvic Prolapse : may increase your odds of developing Pelvic Prolapse. Research into the genetic components of Pelvic Prolapse is ongoing, but it’s possible that you inherited a weaker pelvic floor.
- Collagen irregularities : can weaken the connective tissues in your pelvic floor, increasing the likelihood you’ll develop Pelvic Prolapse. People with connective tissue disorders, like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and who have more movement in their joints are at a greater risk for developing Pelvic Prolapse.
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Treatment
- lifestyle changes
- pelvic floor exercises
- hormone treatment
- vaginal pessaries
- surgery
Physical Therapy:
Pelvic floor physical therapy (PFPT) is the first step in treating uterine prolapse without surgery. Pelvic floor muscle exercises are designed to strengthen the muscles and ligaments of the pelvis and vagina. These include Kegel exercises, in which you tighten and release pelvic floor muscles. Pelvic floor exercises can help to ease the pain and discomfort of prolapse by strengthening muscles to provide more support to the pelvic organs. For rectal prolapse, your doctor may recommend bowel movement retraining, which helps prevent strain by using relaxation exercises. Our Physical Therapist in New York works with each patient to develop programs to meet their specific needs.